Now, take pride...
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4(NIV)
If someone said, “This chair rocks!” they could either mean one of the legs is shorter than the others or they really like the chair. If someone said, “I’m fixing that presently,” they could mean they were fixing it right then, or would fix it some time in the future. If someone on Monday says they’ll meet you next Friday, do they mean the Friday coming, or the Friday after that?
When Paul says, “Love is not proud”, what does he mean? We all like being told we have done a good job. We like the praise of people who are important to us. I’d say everyone would like to hear their father say, “I’m proud of you.” (See Prov 17:6) Is it unloving to say to someone, “I’m proud of you”?
In case you are tempted to say it’s okay to be proud of someone else, just not yourself, take this example. You’ve worked hard at some project and someone else comes along and says, “Wow! That’s great! You should be proud of yourself!” Is it wrong to be proud of the good work you have done?
The sort of pride Paul is talking about in this verse is arrogant pride – being puffed up. The idea is that you make too much of something you have, do or are. A prime example is the plethora of stars that gain respect and public adulation merely by being able to act in a movie or TV programme. Why is it that we accept that someone who can act has some sort of greater worth than other people? Or someone who can sing? Or someone who is beautiful? Does the fact that I earn a certain wage mean I am better than those who earn less, or that I’m less than those who earn more?
Love recognises that our life is bigger than these things and that we cannot puff up our success in one area and apply it to the rest of our lives so that others can marvel at the complete package that is us. Our worth is measured not by any success, but ultimately by God’s love for us, first because we are made in his image, and secondly, through Jesus Christ we are his children.
But that does not mean we cannot have pride in ourselves. In my NIV Bible, the word “pride” is used in seven New Testament verses and in six of them “pride” is used positively! Spirit-led commonsense also tells us that being happy about achievements and work and people is not wrong, but unfortunately many people, in a sincere effort to follow a mistaken understanding of the Bible, adopt a false humility and refuse to accept anything positive said about them and their work. As long as pride is kept within its proper limits (2 Cor 10:13) and is not used to determine our personal worth – or other people’s personal worth by comparison – then being proud of oneself in that sense is not unloving. It is simply being honest.
[This is taken from "Love is Humble"Day 3, Week 4 of the Love Devotions.]
If someone said, “This chair rocks!” they could either mean one of the legs is shorter than the others or they really like the chair. If someone said, “I’m fixing that presently,” they could mean they were fixing it right then, or would fix it some time in the future. If someone on Monday says they’ll meet you next Friday, do they mean the Friday coming, or the Friday after that?
When Paul says, “Love is not proud”, what does he mean? We all like being told we have done a good job. We like the praise of people who are important to us. I’d say everyone would like to hear their father say, “I’m proud of you.” (See Prov 17:6) Is it unloving to say to someone, “I’m proud of you”?
In case you are tempted to say it’s okay to be proud of someone else, just not yourself, take this example. You’ve worked hard at some project and someone else comes along and says, “Wow! That’s great! You should be proud of yourself!” Is it wrong to be proud of the good work you have done?
The sort of pride Paul is talking about in this verse is arrogant pride – being puffed up. The idea is that you make too much of something you have, do or are. A prime example is the plethora of stars that gain respect and public adulation merely by being able to act in a movie or TV programme. Why is it that we accept that someone who can act has some sort of greater worth than other people? Or someone who can sing? Or someone who is beautiful? Does the fact that I earn a certain wage mean I am better than those who earn less, or that I’m less than those who earn more?
Love recognises that our life is bigger than these things and that we cannot puff up our success in one area and apply it to the rest of our lives so that others can marvel at the complete package that is us. Our worth is measured not by any success, but ultimately by God’s love for us, first because we are made in his image, and secondly, through Jesus Christ we are his children.
But that does not mean we cannot have pride in ourselves. In my NIV Bible, the word “pride” is used in seven New Testament verses and in six of them “pride” is used positively! Spirit-led commonsense also tells us that being happy about achievements and work and people is not wrong, but unfortunately many people, in a sincere effort to follow a mistaken understanding of the Bible, adopt a false humility and refuse to accept anything positive said about them and their work. As long as pride is kept within its proper limits (2 Cor 10:13) and is not used to determine our personal worth – or other people’s personal worth by comparison – then being proud of oneself in that sense is not unloving. It is simply being honest.
[This is taken from "Love is Humble"Day 3, Week 4 of the Love Devotions.]
posted by Ali at 8:53 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home